Barbados:  Crop Over Kadooment

Photos and Text by William Farrington

   
Crop Over, two words with multiple interpretations is historically a feast marking the end of the sugar cane season, but to contemporary Bajan ears translates more like let the good times roll and for visitors it means the absolute best time to take in what this dynamic island has to offer
culturally.

Kadooment Day is the climax, It is comparable to Carnival in Trinidad.  Like Carnival, it is an adventure, an experience of one's own. One difference, the Costumed revelers follow a fixed route so that it flows more like a parade.  We decided to walk the whole distance at a leisurely pace so as to see as much of the revelry as possible.
   

   

   
Getting an early start, we made our way to the stadium to watch the first of the 10,000 costumed revelers pass the viewing stand.
Already bands were forming on the track outside, making adjustments to costumes make up but mostly waiting in a quiet way that contrasted with the waves of energy unleashed as they passed the reviewing stand in waves and made their way out of the stadium.
Along the parade route particularly near the National Stadium people had already staked out their spots. In the more densely populated neighborhoods the crowds swelled.  The masses and the huge music trucks completely filling the narrow streets.

As the day heated up revelers took advantage of municipal shower faucets along the route or the spray from garden hoses to cool off. We  made our way stopping at a rumshop or tent serving cold drinks in the lulls between the bands. For relief from the sun and to soak up the atmosphere we jumped from spot to spot in checker like moves until  reaching  Spring Garden Highway late in the afternoon. Here we watched the last of the bands pass. Weary parades lounged on the beach or cooled of in the sea.
   

   

   
At one time 90 percent of the land was in controlled by by plantation owners Ms. Ira King, 74 years, remembers when sugar the prominent  industry. When asked what Crop Over is said matter of factly " ending of the crop...after the sugar cane is cut" As the sugar industry declined the crop over feast grew into a full blown festival. Philip Reckord, whom we met strolling through the Crafts Market with his children told us he used to jump up with Spice Band, later got involved in the music playing Calypso with Hose of Soca, and stayed involved at an organizational level later. Now introducing his 6 year old twins and 3 year old son to the culture. International star Allison Hinds echoes that sentiment saying that because of Crop Over the children "Will grow up with the music. They will never not know it because they will be in it."
   

   

   
Returning to Barbados for Crop Over has become a personal tradition for Jackie Rogers and several of her friends. She likes to arrive back in
Barbados for the last 10 days of Crop Over in order to take in the music tents and parties, but preparations began months before she arrives. But She and a group of friends, some local some international have been planning for weeks looking over costumes and choosing a band to march with. Its a familiar ritual that as been honed over years I can't remember what year but we've been doing it for at least 25 years.

On Grand Kadooment Day, when the music trucks and costumed revelers roll through the streets (Monday, August 7th)
   

   
Jackie and her friends get an early start and stop at special places for a drink or food at friends houses along the way. Over 10,000 costumed revelers Make their way through the neighborhoods filling the narrow steers along the way the National Stadium To Spring Garden.

Crop Over  for Jackie and her friends is more about togetherness than competition in continuity perhaps, with the original spirit of Crop Over. 
Judging by the lyrics of "Colours" the 2005 Road March anthem allot of people feel the same way.  At last year's Cohobblopot festivities and on the road those lyrics were enough to get hundreds of flags waving, uniting Barbadians from all backgrounds in celebration of a shared culture.
   

   

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